Justine Damond death: Minneapolis authorities are not joining the dots

Minneapolis: Officials are not joining the dots. But three days after the police killing of Australian Justine Damond in the Minneapolis suburbs, the emerging narrative is this: spooked by fireworks that exploded just before Damond approached a squad car, a cop pulled his gun and shot through the driver's side window.

Damond can't tell us what happened in a darkened alley – because she died, after taking a bullet in the abdomen. And the man who seemingly admits to pulling the trigger is refusing to be interviewed – that's his constitutional right, we're told.

So on Tuesday, Minnesota's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), which is conducting an independent investigation of the 40-year-old's death, served as a conduit, releasing some of its interview with the cop who drove the car.

Officer Matthew Harrity was behind the wheel as the car groped its way down the alley – all lights off; no cameras running – neither the cameras attached to their uniforms nor, we are told, the dashcam in their car. Officer Mohamed Noor was in the passenger seat.

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A witness in the shooting of Justine Damond has come forward.Credit:LinkedIn

A BCA statement said: "The officers drove south through the alley between Washburn and Xerxes Avenues, towards West 51st St in search of a suspect – all squad lights were off.

"As they reached West 51st St, Officer Harrity indicated he was startled by a loud sound near the squad [car]. Immediately afterwards, [Damond] approached the driver's side window of the squad. Harrity indicated that Officer Noor discharged his weapon, striking [Damon] through the open driver's side window."

This "spooked-by-fireworks" explanation gets added credence from reports of the radio traffic between Noor and Harrity and a police dispatcher, who was coordinating the duo's response to a 911 call, made by Damond, who feared someone was being assaulted in the alley behind her home.

The dispatcher asks for a precinct sergeant to acknowledge a report of "two shots heard from the east". But a voice in reply says: "We heard those sounds from the station…those are probably aerial fireworks".

Justine Damond and her fiance Don Damond.Credit:Facebook

So the BCA inquiry is just getting under way – yes?

Apparently, no. Its statement reports matter-of-factly that Noor had declined to be interviewed by BCA agents "at this time" – and that his attorney did not provide clarification on when, if ever, an interview would be possible.

People pay their respect to Justine Damond at Freshwater Beach during a vigil on Wednesday.Credit:Kate Geraghty

But the BCA will do other interviews? That doesn't seem likely either. Attaching an odd Q&A to the statement the BCA asks itself: "What's left to do in the investigation before it is turned over to the county attorney?".

To which the BCA tells the BCA: "Unless someone else comes forward, the BCA does not have additional interviews scheduled at this time. Forensic evidence is being completed and all evidence must be examined."

Justine's parents Maryan Heffernan, and John Ruszczyk, right, with their son Jason Ruszczyk and his wife Katarina Ruszczyk, left at Freshwater Beach during a vigil for their daughter. Credit:Kate Geraghty

That "someone else" could be the 18-to-25-year-old cyclist who Harrity said he had observed riding eastward on 51st St immediately before the shooting – and who had stopped to watch the two cops' efforts to resuscitate Damond, who was dressed in her pyjamas.

And given that all the police cameras were shut down, the BCA seems resigned to not ever getting hold of video evidence of what went down in the alley – "investigators are aware of no video or audio of the shooting," the BCA statement said.

Mayor of Minneapolis Betsy Hodges.Credit:Twitter/MayorHodges

What was really strange about this tidbit from the BCA was how grateful Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges was to receive it.

At a press conference on Tuesday evening US time, she said she appreciated the release – "we don't have all the answers, but this information from the BCA brings us closer to answers and to seeing justice done".

Police officer Mohamed Noor has been named as the one who fired at Justine Damond.Credit:AP

And though she piled pressure on Noor to commit to an interview, Hodges was resigned: "We can't compel officer Noor to make a statement. I wish we could; I wish he would make a statement – but we can't compel him by law".

Beside her, stood Deputy Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, who explained he was aware of the statement – but that he could not comment on it; and that his department had opened a "use-of-force" review on the Damond killing, but there wasn't much it could do – because most of the data it needed was with the BCA.

And yet, there was a sense that Hodges was not seeing the wood for the trees.

Fairfax Media picked up on her shock that Damond had died – and her frustration that a complete story had not emerged. But at the same time, didn't the Damond killing point to an even greater problem, in that Minneapolis had a law and order culture that allowed two rookie cops – Harrity, 12 months; Noor, 21 months – to cruise a neighbourhood late at night, armed with guns they didn't seem to know how to use?

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The mayor deflected: "I think your question is more about policing in the US – and we are in a country where people have guns".

And somehow that misses the point of Damond's death. It was she who had called the cops and she was anything but a threat in her pyjamas and armed only with a mobile phone as she ventured into the night to see what was happening in the alley behind her home.